From Princess Diana's frothy '80s fairytale dress to Meghan Markle's sleek and simple gown, royal wedding dresses have never failed to capture the public's imagination. When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, women around the world instantly copied her bridal style and H&M even made an affordable version of her $434,000 Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown. But when it comes to the priciest royal dresses, Kate's doesn't even come close.
Queen Letizia of Spain—who is celebrating her 21st anniversary to King Felipe on Thursday, May 22—takes the title for having the most expensive royal wedding gown in history.
Her Manuel Pertegaz was reminiscent of a Renaissance princess with its stand-up collar, long sleeves and intricately embroidered 15-foot train. It also included a seriously hefty price tag, coming in at a whopping $8 million—that's 18 times more expensive than Kate's bespoke McQueen dress.
What made it so costly? Letizia's dress featured delicate embroidery that was made with real gold thread, a throwback to the days of kings and queens centuries ago.
Like many royal brides, her dress also contained hidden meaning. Letizia's train included symbols like ears of wheat and fleur-de-lis, which are featured on the crest of the Prince of Asturias—Felipe's title at the time.
News anchor Letizia was given a sweet gift by her future husband's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia to wear on her wedding day: a pair of diamond drop earrings. She also paid tribute to her mother-in-law by wearing the Prussian tiara, the same century-old diamond tiara worn by Queen Sofia on her own wedding day.
Looking at other royal wedding gowns, Meghan Markle's reportedly cost about $265,000, while Princess Diana's dress cost $118,000 in 1981, which is roughly $413,000 today. However, Queen Elizabeth's 1947 Norman Hartnell wedding gown ranks as the priciest amongst the Brits. Although it cost $42,000 at the time, that's the equivalent of $1.6 million in 2025.
